Black Belt in Mixed Martial Arts?

**ArmyCombatives** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 12:49am

ok, we are all atleast thinking down the same path. My point is, it is called Mixed Marital Arts for a reason, that is not a style it is a name. Mixed is the big part. There is no MMA grandmaster or SOKE counsel, every camp trains diffrently. No one has said you must have 35% mt AND 45% bjj and fill in the remaining 20% with what ever. There is no set standard. And yes, if it works and whoops some ass then it should be considered part of that individuals MMA back ground. Some people feel you must have BJJ in order to be successfull, but where does it say that, where is the book or the counsel that states that. I think alot of people get wrapped around the axle with the words Black Belt. I am gonna start my own MMA school and my top belt is going to be "chartrouse" what the hell does it matter. If you are a traditional martial arts practitioner and understand the belt structure for your chosed art, dont get all up in everyone elses business. If the guy claims to be a black belt in "Billy Bobs MMA" then who are any of us to question him? Go to the school put some mat time in with the guy and maybe he actually deserves some respect, maybe he put in the yrs to get that "Billy Bob MMA" black belt. People are so quick to judge. My Sifu, Sensie (insert whatever here) says this..... blah blah, and if anyone has a diffrent idea than all of a sudden it is crap? Really? I mean why cant we all just support eachother in the art they have chosen? dont get me wrong, if you know for a fact that some one is a Mouth Breathing Ass Clown passing him self off as something he aint, then by all means it should be adressed. But professionally and respectfully, if that fails than hell its game on. But I think the bottom line I am trying to say is what and who is the deciding factor as to who is entitled to use the term MMA. People ask me and I say I am a Submission Grapppler, but that includes my standing fight and ground fight, which all come from yrs of training in various styles, can I call myself an MMA practioner? do I have to go around proving myself all the time to every wanna be Martial Arts Cop that I am leget, where and when does it end. Ok, thanks and lets honestly think about it. M for Mixed M for Martial and A for Arts so, some one tell me the requirements to use that word. Can I follow Shamrock or Liddell? do I have to believe Silva or Kimbo? help me out cause now I am confused with all this policing of the "Mixed"

Respects

**ronin497** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 2:10am

Hey man...I'll say this because somebody flamesprayed me for it after one of my first posts.

Carriage returns are your friend.

Makes it a lot easier for someone to want to read and respond to your information.

**ArmyCombatives** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 2:55am

got it, I type faster than I should.

sorry about that

wont

happen

again

**ronin497** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 3:02am

Originally Posted by ArmyCombatives

got it, I type faster than I should.

No worries m8. Saves eye strain you see. Considering most of my life is spent staring at a glowing rectangle of some sort, it really does help.

My .02 is this...Even though legit MMA instructors are usually going to have a background whose certifications you can check for yourself (USJA, Gracie BJJ, Golden Gloves, NCAA wrestling, etc.) the more schools that pass themselves off as MMA dojos, the more I see a need for certification and standards.

I don't have the slightest idea how such a governing and standardized body would be implemented, though.

I suppose in those cases, the best litmus test for anyone claiming to be a legitimate MMA instructor would be his competition record. Kinda hard to fake that, although I'm sure it's been tried.

**ArmyCombatives** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 3:33am

Originally Posted by ronin497

No worries m8. Saves eye strain you see. Considering most of my life is spent staring at a glowing rectangle of some sort, it really does help.

My .02 is this...Even though legit MMA instructors are usually going to have a background whose certifications you can check for yourself (USJA, Gracie BJJ, Golden Gloves, NCAA wrestling, etc.) the more schools that pass themselves off as MMA dojos, the more I see a need for certification and standards.

I don't have the slightest idea how such a governing and standardized body would be implemented, though.

I suppose in those cases, the best litmus test for anyone claiming to be a legitimate MMA instructor would be his competition record. Kinda hard to fake that, although I'm sure it's been tried.

I understand what you are saying and I totally agree on the credibility thing. But like was said earlier, buyer beware.

I dont see how you could set standards though, that would be tough. I have an extensive background in wrestling (mostly Greco) so clinch and take downs are one of my strong points.

I am certified in Army Combatives, which is based in BJJ, so I feel I have a pretty solid ground fight. I am fairly good at submissions, and passing the guard.

I also have ranks in Kenpo and Kung Fu, so I have a standing fight also. But the standards would be a tough thing.

Like I said above, I agree there are alot of people riding the MMA train right now, but a guy like me and others that are truly "Mixed" are getting caught up in it. Just like TKD and Karate with all the McDojo's.

Respects man, I get what you are saying.

**ronin497** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 6:21am

How much time did you do in the Army? You seem to be claiming rank and experience in a whole bunch of different things. Most pack-draggers I know would have never found the spare time to get ranks in all that stuff.

You must have been really dedicated.

**Nicko1** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 6:27am

Originally Posted by crappler

Having a black belt in mma is like saying you have a phd in college.

The proposition does seem to be logically inconsistent. If you can offer a BB in it, then surely it is a single style. The "mixed" part of MMA seem to preclude such a unifying mark of rank. I certainly agree with Elipson that if someone wants to make up their own MA they can give out any rank they want, but I do not think that this is what is going on here.

Say, for example, I invent an art called "Nicko-Jitsu". My students could compete under MMA rules and win or not according to the training and their own abilities (in this case solely their own abilities). Any BBs I awarded my students would, however, be in Nicko-Jitsu not MMA.

This particular thread should, however, be about the ability of the school in question to provide the training they claim to offer. Are they misrepresenting themselves to their students? The other discussion, whilst interesting, belongs in YMAS.

**ArmyCombatives** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 6:51am

not claiming alot of rank in anything. I said I have a 1st Dan in Kenpo, I am Army combatives trained, and I studied some Kung Fu. Not sure how that makes me saying I have alot of rank.
I have been in the Army for 16yrs and have done alot of traveling. Honestly, this is what I hate about **** like this, everybody is a god damn Martial Arts policing member. I did not claim anything crazy, just stated the facts. Wow, man really you need to flame on me about that?

And yes, I think Nicko is correct in what was said above.

**ArmyCombatives** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 6:56am

oh yeah, and seriously, if they are dragging thier packs thier probably pussies!! get it right if you wanna talk ****.

Have you served? And dont mean served the boys at the corner bar either. Have you done any time in the Military? We do have a life you know, its not like you see on your daily dose of MASH. Or what ever **** your mom allows you to watch when she is done watching Oprah.

**galois** · Posted On: 10/01/2009 8:01am

I think I more or less agree with elipson with regards the issue of governing bodies but I'd also like to add that it's not just the person giving out the belts that matters it's who they give it to. If Penn starts selling MMA BBs over the internet then an MMA BB from him will mean **** all.

Look at the situation with degrees. Most people will accept that even reputable universities have different standards, and they certainly have different syllabi. That doesn't make the degree system meaningless. It just means that to get the full picture you have to ask "from where?". As an example, in the UK if someone gets a first class maths degree from cambridge university you know they are among the best in the country, the same is not true of, say, coventry university (without wanting to disrespect the valuable jobs it does as an institution, producing great mathematicians is not one of them).

Having a BB in MMA is no more intrinsically meaningless than having a BB in karate.